The special election for the City Council’s District 6 seat, left vacant by former Council President Nury Martinez, is fast approaching its deadline for voting. The election features Imelda Padilla and Marisa Alcaraz as the leading candidates.
In the initial round of voting, Padilla, a community relations manager, secured the top spot with 25.65% of the vote, followed by Alcaraz, a City Council aide, with 21.13%. As neither candidate reached a majority, a runoff between the two is necessary.
Padilla’s campaign website emphasizes a commitment to urgently addressing the unhoused crisis, as the current approach is ineffective. She plans to propose emergency measures to remediate encampments and connect the unhoused population with essential services for housing, employment, and health support. Padilla aims to collaborate with various stakeholders, including residents, non-profit organizations, religious leaders, business owners, and health organizations, to develop and implement localized solutions that prioritize community safety, sanitation, and sustainability.
Padilla’s background includes being born in Van Nuys, raised in Sun Valley, and graduating from Roscoe Elementary School, Byrd Middle School, and Polytechnic High School. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and her master’s degree from Cal State Northridge.
Alcaraz, currently serving as deputy chief of staff and environmental policy director to Ninth District Councilman Curren Price, is focused on assisting the homeless population in finding housing and receiving the necessary care to regain independence. Alcaraz supports conducting extensive outreach efforts and adopting a “Housing First” strategy. She believes in continued investment in outreach teams, including multidisciplinary teams with medical and mental health professionals.
Alcaraz grew up in Lake Balboa, attended Birmingham High School, obtained her bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine, and her master’s degree from USC.
District 6 encompasses Van Nuys, Arleta, Lake Balboa, Panorama City, Sun Valley, North Hills, and North Hollywood.
All registered voters in the district received a vote-by-mail ballot in late May, according to Los Angeles City Clerk Holly Wolcott.
Voters have the option to cast their ballots at various locations from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until Monday and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. The polling places include the Albert Piantanida Intergenerational Center in Panorama City, Goodwill Southern California in Panorama City, and Central Lutheran Church in Van Nuys. Additionally, voting will take place at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s office in Norwalk on Monday and at LA Family Housing in North Hollywood, Fernangeles Elementary School in Sun Valley, Bassett Street Elementary School in Van Nuys, and Gault Street Elementary School in Van Nuys on Tuesday. Voters can also find vote-by-mail drop-box locations that will be open until 8 p.m. Tuesday at locator.lavote.gov/locations-list/vbm/?id=4313&culture=en.
Eligible residents who missed the registration deadline still have the opportunity to vote at any vote center through conditional voter registration. This provision allows individuals to register and cast a ballot.
For easy tracking, voters can utilize the “Where’s My Ballot” service, which provides automatic notifications through text, email, or voicemail regarding the status of their ballot.
The seat held by Martinez will be filled by the winner of this election until December 2024.
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